Vapor-electric device



April 22, 1952 1.. J. HIBBARD ET AL 2,594,017

VAPOR-ELECTRIC DEVICE Filed June 9, 1950 Fig.l-.

Insulation INVENTORS WITNESSES:

LIoyd J.Hi'bbbrd,Louis A.Cosqnovo 03? Robert A.Buchonon. 2% I/fiJW ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 22, 1952 VAPOR-ELECTRIC DEVICE Lloyd J. Hibbard, Louis A. Casanova, and Robert A. Buchanan, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors. to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 9, 1950, Serial No. 167,116

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to a vapor-electric device and particularly to means for stabilizing the cathode pool of a vapor-electric device subject to vibration during operation.

In the construction of ignitrons it is customary to provide exciting electrodes such as a makealive electrode or ignitor, and a keep-alive electrode if one is used, adjacent the central portion of the cathode pool, and usually an insulating barrier is provided so that a definite area is set off, usually in the central portion of the pool, as an active cathode area.

When such ignitrons are mounted on vehicles or other places where they are subject to sustained agitation or vibration, the cathode material, usually mercury, tends to build up an oscillatory wave-motion which may become extremely violent under resonant conditions. The result of this wave-motion is that the mercury tends to pile up against one or the other side of the pool container so that frequently the ignitors are left out of contact with the cathode material, thus resulting in unstable operation of the device. For example, if the cathode container of a device mounted on a locomotive moves rapidly to the left, the mercury will pile up against the right-hand side of the device because of the inertia of the cathode material. When watching the operation under such conditions, it will be noted that a part of the cathode material contained within the barrier defining the active cathode area will be spilled out and contrawise some of the mercury, or cathode'material, will be spilled into the barrier. However, because of the normal annular shape of the barrier, a certain portion of the cathode material which is outside of the barrier will flow around, instead of over, the barrier, and consequently the mercury within the barrier will be depleted, as it is necessary to fasten the barrier in substantial close relation to the bottom of the container and only a small amount of cathode material can flow under the barrier.

According to our invention, we have provided a plurality of additional barriers providing a plurality of auxiliary cathode areas outside the active cathode area and these are so positioned as to control the flow of cathode material so that the amount of material flowing into the active cathode area is substantially equal to the amount of material flowing out of the active cathode area so that at all stages, the active cathode area will be substantially stabilized so that the control electrodes will make proper contact with the cathode material.

It is, accordingly, an object of our invention to provide a stable vapor-electrode device.

It is a further object of our invention to p10.- vide baflie means for controlling the oscillatory movement or flow of cathode material in a vaporelectric device subject to vibration.

Other objects andadvantages of our invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accom panying drawing, in which:

Figure l is an elevation, partially in section of a vapor-electric device according to the inven tion;

Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration showing the action of cathode material in a container under motion;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a cathode having barriers arranged accordingto our invention;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken along line IV--IV of Fig. 1 showing a modified arrangement of the cathode barrier; and

Fig. 5 is a similar illustration showing a fur ther modification.

In the exemplary embodiment of our invention, the vapor-electric device Iflcomprises a. container ll preferably substantially cylindrical in cross section and having, in the substantially flat bottom 12 thereof, a pool [3 of cathode material, usually mercury. Suspended in the top portion of the container II is an anode M in sulated from the container ll proper by a suitable insulating bushing l5. Our invention is par-- ticularly adapted for an agitatedly mounted ignitron, which is a pool-type vapor-electric arcdevice having a single main anode 14, a single main cathode l3, and a make-alive electrode or ignitor which initiates an arc at the beginning of each conducting period of the device. In the forms of embodiment of our invention as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the cathode pool I3 has, adjacent its central area, an upstanding cylindrical insulating barrier 16, which extends up from substantially the bottom of the container l I to a point above the normal surface-level of the pool I3, thus defining an enclosed. central active cathode surface ll. Extending down into this enclosed, central active cathode surface H are mounted one or more make-alive or ignitor electrodes l8 which in normal operation are in contact with the cathode material within the active cathode area [1. Frequently, a keep-alive or spot maintaining electrode I9 is also mounted, in cooperative spaced relation to this active cathode area l1. Usually, a cathode shield 20 is interposed between the active cathode area H and the face of the cooperating anode l4.

When the vapor-electric devices II] are subject to motion, the cathode material has a tendency to flow as is illustrated in Fig. 2. The cathode material within the active cathode area i! tends to flow over the insulating barrier l6 and pile up in the direction from which the device is moving. For example, if the device It! is moving to the left, the cathode material will pile up against the right side of the container II. The material then from the left side of the cathode I3 will tend to spill over the barrier l6 and replace the cathode material which was displaced from the active cathode area l1. However, because of the tendency of the cathode material to flow around the barrier 16, more mercury will be lost from the active cathode area ll than will be replaced, so that after an interval of vibration, a material amount of cathode material will have been displaced from the active cathode area [1. To prevent this, we have provided barriers for controlling the flow of the cathode material in the portion outside of the active cathode area I! so that the flow of cathode material into and out of the active cathode area I! will be substantially stabilized.

In the modification according to Fig. 3, the exterior portion of the cathode l3 has been divided into a plurality of auxiliary cathode areas by means of arcuate barriers 22 tangential to the outer surface of the central barrier 16. Consequently, if the container H is moved in any direction, the curved barriers or bafiles 22 will direct the flow of cathode material so that the material spilling into the active cathode area I! out of any auxiliary cathode area will tend to exactly replace the material spilling out of the active cathode area l1.

Instead of using a cathode area delineator or baffle I6 and a plurality of supplementary baffles 22, a grid-shaped bafile arrangement as shown in Fig. 4 may be used in which a plurality of rectangularly disposed relatively straight crisscrossing insulating cathode bafiles 25 arranged in egg-crate formation provide a plurality of adjacent cathode areas with a substantially square or rectangular active portion ll. Since each of the barriers 25 is substantially straight, the flow in any direction will be substantially stabilized. This stabilization is brought about by the prohibition of circular or crossflow of the mercury surrounding the active central area l1, and by the provision of substantially equal barrier enclosed areas in every direction, so that any slopping-over of the mercury from any barrier-enclosed area will be substantially the same, so that the flow of mercury into and out of the central active area I! will be substantially stabilized.

In most operation, the central pool I! will be quite constant in volume and the surface will be fairly stable. The outer portions of the pool are relatively more disturbed than the central area I1, and hence, as shown in Fig. 5, it is often desirable, when the sustained vibrations are very violent, or are apt to be in a critical resonant range, to provide one or more concentric auxiliary cylindrical barrlers 26, surrounding and spaced from a central cylindrical barrier I6, so as to divide the outer portions of the pool-area into a plurality of auxiliary concentric annular areas surrounding the central active pool-area l1, thus tending to maintain a relatively small and constant quantity of mercury which flows over the various barriers 26 and It on each side of the central area ll. In such a case, it is usually desirable to provide radial bafiles 21 to break the outer concentric pool-areas up into a relatively large number of small areas, each involving a quantity of liquid of relatively small mass which is not subject to much sloshing. The radial bafiles 21 retard the splashing or sloshing of the cathode material l3, not only by subdividing the peripheral portions of the pool into smaller pockets, but also by preventing the formation of annular currents. In many such cases, we have found it desirable also to provide auxiliary approximately radially disposed baflles 28 within the central cylindrical barrier l6, so disposed as to maintain a substantially undisturbed area in the vicinity of each of the ignitors or make-alive electrodes I8, as also shown in Fig. 5.

Because of the amplitude of the agitation in the peripheral areas of the pool, it is sometimes desirable to provide horizontally disposed damper or control rings 29, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the liquid is substantially retained in the small sectors.

Where extreme agitation of the cathode material is to be expected, a splash ring 30 may be provided intermediate the anode I4 and cathode l3, as shown in Fig. 1, so that any cathode material tending to flow upwardly along the container wall will be substantially blocked before entrance to the anode area.

While we have shown exemplary embodiments of our invention and described the same according to our present understanding thereof, it is desired tobe understood that such illustration and description is exemplary only, and that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the true spirit of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A vapor-electric device of a type capable of operating while subject to vibration, characterized by having a pool-type cathode, a centrally disposed upstanding insulating barrier extending up from substantially the bottom of the cathode-pool to a. point above the normal surface-level of the pool, said centrally disposed bare rier substantially completely enclosing a central active cathode-portion, auxiliary barrier-means disposed in the pool outside of said centrally disposed barrier and subdividing the outer peripheral portion of the pool into a plurality of peripherally separated enclosed portions of approximately equal surface-areas, and a makealive electrode extending down into the poolsurface of said central active cathode-portion.

2. A vapor-electric device of a type capable of operating while subject to vibration, characterized by having a pool-type cathode, a centrally disposed upstanding insulating barrier ex-' tending up from substantially the bottom of the cathode-pool to a point above the normal surface-level of the pool, said centrally disposed barrier substantially completely enclosing a central active cathode-portion, auxiliary barrier means comprising at least one peripherally extending barrier disposed in said pool and spaced radially from both the centrally disposed barrier and the outer periphery of the pool, and additional auxiliary barrier-means disposed in the pool outside of said centrally disposed barrier. and subdividing the outer peripheral portion of the pool into a plurality of peripherally separated enclosed portions, and a make-alive electrode extending down into the pool-surface of said central active cathode-portion.

3. A vapor-electric device of a type capable of operating while subject to vibration, characterized by having a pool-type cathode, a centrally disposed upstanding insulating barrier extending up from substantially the bottom of the cathode-pool to a point above the normal surface-level of the pool, said centrally disposed barrier substantially completely enclosing a central active cathode-portion, auxiliary barriermeans comprising at least one peripherally extending barrier disposed in said pool and spaced radially from both the centrally disposed barrier and the outer periphery of the pool, and additional auxiliary barrier-means disposed in the pool outside of said centrally disposed barrier and subdividing the outer peripheral portion of the pool into a plurality of peripherally separated enclosed portions, a plurality of make-alive electrodes extending down into the pool-surface of said central active cathode-portion, and auxiliary approximately radially disposed baflies within the centrally disposed barrier, so disposed as to maintain a substantially undisturbed area in the vicinity of each of the make-alive electrodes.

4. A vapor-electric device of a type capable of operating while subject to vibration, characterized by having a pool-type cathode, a centrally disposed upstanding insulating barrier extending up from substantially the bottom of the cathode-pool to a point above the normal surface-level of the pool, said centrally disposed barrier substantially completely enclosing a central active cathode-portion, auxiliary barriermeans disposed in the pool outside of said centrally disposed barrier and subdividing the outer peripheral portion of the pool into a plurality of peripherally separated enclosed portions, a plurality of make-alive electrodes extending down into the pool-surface of said central active cathode-portion, and auxiliary approximately radially disposed bafiles within the centrally dis posed barrier, so disposed as to maintain a substantially undisturbed area in the vicinity of each of the make-alive electrodes.

5. A vapor-electric device of a type capable of operating while subject to vibration, characterized by having a pool-type cathode, a centrally disposed upstanding cylindrical insulating barrier extending up from substantially the bottom of the cathode-pool to a point above the normal surface-level of the pool, said centrally disposed barrier substantially completely enclosing a central active cathode-portion auxiliary barrier-means comprising a plurality of arcuate barriers tangential to the outer surface of the centrally disposed barrier, and a makealive electrode extending down into the poolsurface of said central active cathode-portion.

6. A vapor-electric device of a type capable of operating while subject to vibration, characterized by having a pool-type cathode, a plurality of substantially rectangularly disposed crisscrossing insulating barriers extending up from substantially the bottom of the cathodepool to a point above the normal surface-level of the pool, said barriers defining a substantially rectangular central active cathode-portion and a plurality of outer peripheral cathode-portions, and a make-alive electrode extending down into the pool-surface oi said central active cathode-portion.

LLOYD J. I-IIBBARD. LOUIS A. CASANOVA. ROBERT A. BUCHANAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,172,221 Pakala Sept. 5, 1939 2,465,421 Bertele Mar. 29, 1949 

